Many families who send their children to private high schools assume they won’t qualify for college financial aid—and that’s a big mistake. The reality is that the college aid formulas don’t penalize you for paying private school tuition now—but they might if you don’t position your finances carefully.

Here’s the key: Financial aid isn’t just about income—it’s about how your assets, liabilities, and overall financial picture are presented. Many private school families overestimate their Student Aid Index (SAI), or never run one at all, missing out on both need-based and merit-based aid opportunities.

Even for high-income families, private universities often offer significant institutional aid—especially if your student is in the top third of their applicant pool. But unless you know which colleges prioritize aid, you may end up overpaying at “name brand” schools that don’t.